Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Today I have the day off which turned out to be very good. My boss took those of us who were working yesterday out for drinks at 3:30pm. I had brought my gym bag with me as I absolutely intended to go to the gym after work. Alas time passed, drinks multiplied and it was 9pm. Thankfully I stuck to diet coke and vodka, so that's 2pts a drink. However I had 6 of them. Yes I shocked myself so today is completely focused on cleansing. Lower point day, copious amounts of water and heavy on the fruit and veg. However I did not feel the effects this morning and woke up at 7:45am feeling fine, which I think is due to sticking to one type of drink. That was super generous of her as we started with 10 people and there were 4 left at 9pm.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I was lighter than yesterday...weird.

I am going to the gym today however and will be after work tomorrow as well. What better way to start off my New Year's than doing something healthy. I'm staying home and having a movie night for New Year's and I decided to make it a WW healthy event rather than an excuse to go crazy. I did the crazy for Christmas and now it's done. So I'm planning turkey tacos in lettuce wraps as my main course, saw this neat recipe in Clean Eating magazine for whole wheat wanton wrappers filled with grapes and something else not sure what but that could be a nice appetizer. For dessert low fat pudding and cool whip.

I was originally planning to go shopping today as a little Christmas shopping for me and then I realized the things I want would make excellent goal rewards instead. This was my light bulb moment. If I want these things I'll have to work for them.

So the makeup train case from Sephora and the travel yoga mat from Lululemon will have to wait. I'm undecided on weight goals I'm thinking 10lb increments for these two things as they're not cheap maybe even a bit higher. Then maybe an OPI nail polish for 5lbs or something like that.

Have any of you tried goal rewards? What works for you and what do you covet?

Thursday, December 25, 2008

I spent Christmas by myself this year (Please no sympathy, I enjoyed it). Though I did feel compelled to lie when people asked me about my Christmas plans. People would start with "Are you visiting family over Christmas?" and when I said no a look of horror crossed their face as they said "You're not spending it alone are you?". I immediately responded with "Oh no, I'll be spending time with friends". I didn't want to get into the whole reassurance that I was fine on my own. As an only child, being alone has never bothered me nor frightened me. I'm quite comforted by the fact that I'm o.k with it. People will spend the holidays in all sorts of situations like being surrounded by loved ones, surrounded by the tolerated loved ones or alone. I spent Christmas with someone I love - me.

My traditional trip to my Dad's was called off due to weather and timing so instead I intend to rest and come up with some goals until I go back to work on the 29th. I'm taking the 30th off to do a little Christmas shopping for me.

I find myself doing a lot of reflection lately perhaps it's the timing of the end of the year. I feel bad about falling off the wagon of the biggest loser challenge. I had a life intervention but I'm so proud of the group and their successes.

This year was a bit topsy turvy especially over the last few months. I honestly believe many many things happened for the best. Especially the new job, though being unemployed is stressful I wound up in a fantastic place. I've had difficulty getting a schedule for workouts and a plan for food in place but I think I've got that figured out now that my travel schedule will be a bit more consistent.

I've now gotten to know a few of new co-workers and one day about a month ago I went for a glass of wine with a few one day after work. Over conversation they asked if I was married and I said no I'm single. They told me I looked settled. Settled? What does that mean? Comfortable, easy going or could it be frumpy? They then began suggesting a makeover at MAC and a new hair cut (though I had just had a new hair cut).

Hmm...I wasn't insulted but rather found the whole conversation quite funny because I consider myself a work in progress.

I think the priority is for me to work on the inside before I work on the outside. First of all I need to get this whole weight loss thing sorted from a mental perspective. I need to understand what causes me to go wrong. I need to make exercise a priority even if it takes me 2.5 hours to get home. I've certainly not been happy with the scale going in the wrong direction but I also know the only person responsible for that is myself. I do know I can talk the talk of weight loss but now I must walk the walk.

I think I get too big with goals and need to make them more smaller and more realistic. A challenge but doable, you know what I mean?

Even thought the world seems to swirling right now with the economy and the weather, I hope you take a minute to appreciate what you do have and know that you can control your own destiny even when it doesn't feel like you can.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Someone sent me an ecard from Hallmark to my work email today and the computer freaked out when I went to open it. Sadly that really means the end of blogging at work. Not that I've had time to do such things.

Today I tried to go through all of the jobs that recently became my responsibility. I'm not sure when the last time they were checked for new resume submissions but I go through 3 postings because each had 50 resumes I had to read through.

Which makes me say this: People I know that looking for a job is hard, but please there is fine line between wishful thinking and there's no way in heck your qualified for this position. I.E. Starbucks is not 5 years of progressively more challenging Administrative experience. Sometimes I've got to bring out the tough love.

Christmas shopping is done, thank you Amazon and your email gift certificates. I don't think of it as selling out. I think of it as highly practical. No waste from gift wrap and they get what they want. Tada!

I found myself thinking I can't wait to get back to the gym today, by the time regular hours resume all the New Year's resolution people will be there. As I was waiting in line at Walmart the other day I was reading all the January magazine covers and it seemed 98% of them mentioned weight loss. Some things never change.

I'm going through tv withdrawal as the normal shows I watch are all pre-empted by Christmas specials. Sadly a whole chunk of them have been cancelled i.e. Pushing Daisies (I'm heart broken) and I was getting into My Own Worst Enemy. Lipstick Jungle is hanging by a thread.

I can't stand medical or cop shows, for that kind of drama I watch the news. But alas new show will come. How about Biggest Loser starting up again on Jan 6th. I love it practically back to back seasons.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

I fully admit that I am currently a winter wimp and it has more or less turned me into a hermit. I'm so bundled up when I'm outside that most people wouldn't recognize me and when I get home I stay there.

We're a bit spoiled in Calgary as usually in the midst of winter we get a warm air mass that warms things up in between the bitterly cold. Every time they've forecasted one a winter storm swoops in and kills it.

I haven't been to the gym since I started the new job at first because I had to adjust to the new hours now it's because once I'm on a bus home I'm not getting off.

Transit has been interesting. I can take a multitude of buses home from downtown but for the past week I've been working in the south. So that requires 2 buses and a train. The bus that goes to that location has a mysterious schedule so one never really knows when it's coming. Going there not so bad, coming home not so good.

For three days in row I got downtown to a sea of people at the bus stop apparently they all needed the 101 and seven 104 buses had gone by. Luckily for me I could take either but boy did I feel sorry for the 104 bus drivers as people were accosting them about the location of the 101.

Gosh darn it Christmas brings out the best in everyone....

Speaking of Christmas, I've done nada in terms of shopping. It looks like it's gift cards for everyone.

On the weight loss front I've steadily maintained. Good I guess, but no where I want to be. I have not been organized with planning meals so I'm hoping it's a bit slower between now and New Years so I can put some plans into place. Starting Monday I'm bringing lunch and I'll make it the night before.

Normally I don't believe in New Year's resolutions but since I'll finally be able to breathe during this time I need to come up a list of reasonable goals. Even if they're ridiculously simple it's a start in commitment.

I hope all of you are well and I'll take a stab at reading my bloglines which must be overloaded right now.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Winter has finally hit my fair city, today high of -23C (Winchill -36) and we had a snow storm hit yesterday that resulted in approximately 25cm of snow, that's almost a foot.

Yesterday when the full storm hit we were sent home at 2:30pm, I got home at 5:00pm. I was working at a location not downtown. So I had to take two buses and a train. The first bus and train were fine, but when I hit downtown there must have been 60 people waiting at the bus stop. So I went to another bus stop and hopped on the first one that I knew would get me relatively close to home. I must have taken 45min to move 3 blocks. Oh well, we really can't complain as it's December 13th and this our first taste of winter.

I was in Fort Mac on Tuesday and they had -25 for the past week, while at home in Calgary it was +2.

On the WW online front I've been crappy at tracking this week and saw a .7 gain. It's my own fault, I feel like I'm racing around all the time and not planning well that's for sure. This week I vow to track everyday and get my water in (that's been hard too). Can I say I was pretty happy this morning knowing my weigh in was at home and not having to bundle out into the -36 windchill.

My workload tripled this week and I'm not complaining I love to be busy. There were a whack of meetings that left me a little short of time. I'm not sure where I'm working this Monday, it's either downtown or site (150km outside of Fort McMurray) so that would mean an early wake up call and off to the plane. So far I'm not confirmed on the flight so if I don't hear from my boss by tomorrow (we're waiting on another person) I'm working downtown. The rest of the week will be in the SE location. If I could move the SE building to downtown my world would be perfect. Yesterday they gave me my own phone and gave me a tour of the building and took me to office services where I literally shopped for office supplies. Downtown I have to order from the Grand&Toy catalogue and hope the person who places the order okays what I'm asking for.

I'm bringing lunch next week for 4/5 days and will have a water bottle on my person at all times. I still haven't figured out how to hit the gym with my crazy schedule but I think that's how it will be on crazy weeks we'll have to figure things out at home and on regular weeks (which will happen) we hit the gym.

I seriously need to catch up on all your blogs as I haven't had a chance and I must write a paper this weekend. After the paper no school until the end of January.

Oh yeah, that test I wrote in October. I got 66%, 4% shy of moving on to the next test so I'll be re-writing that in May. I admit I didn't prepare well for the first writing so I feel pretty good about 66%, I know if I try a little harder I'll make it to the next round.

Sorry for the long post but I think it's going to be a once a week posting for awhile.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

It's not that I have a beef with the program, I know it works. I did consider doing something different as a change, the thing that bugs me about other programs is their restrictive. I checked out Biggest Loser Club online, the pre-made menus bug me. Mainly because it's an American site most of the foods listed are processed and only available there. The minute someone tells me I can't have something, I get rebellious. Plus as mentioned even within WW, if I need a change I can switch to core. You guys are geniuses!

So after some thought I signed up for WW online, this way I can still weigh in on Saturdays but whenever I get up. I was finding the meetings pretty darn repetitive so I've signed up for 3 months online. That's a solid test period.

The journey is changing roads my friends and we shall see what happens.

Work is fantastic, I'm smoking busy and conducted my first interview with the new company last week. Afterwards the hiring manager who joined me said I obviously knew what I was doing. I like the group I'm supporting and I'll learn a lot. Now my goal is to be the best recruiter they've ever had.

I didn't wind up going to the corporate party due to a series of snafus. My class ran late, I missed the normal bus. My cell phone was dead, so by the time I got home it was close to 10pm and I knew at that point I was hooped. Oh well, at least I went to the department one so I've had at least one Christmas party which more than some people get.

I don't feel like it's Christmas at all, I put up my tree and decorated the house but with no snow and relatively balmy temperatures I just don't feel it. Today I'll wander over to Walmart to get my donation for the family that work is supporting and I'll make yearly donation to Toy Mountain. I seem to have difficult people on my list as I've known everyone for a long time and it gets tough to be creative. At least I have a few weeks.